Autumn 1874 tasting videos

Find out more about some of the wines in our autumn edition of 1874 magazine from the buyers who selected them.

Red wines

Ranging from great-value favourites hailing from South Africa, Italy and Spain to fine California zinfandel, Oregon pinot noir and Australian shiraz.

Altano Rewilding Edition Tinto, Douro 2018

Video transcript

Altano Rewilding Edition Tinto Douro 2018 

This beautiful wine comes from mountain vineyards high in the Douro Valley. And that altitude brings a certain freshness to this wine, so you’ve got more of the red-fruit profile than the darker, heavier fruits that you sometimes get in Douro reds. It’s made from tinto roriz, tinta barroca and touriga franca, typical grapes of the region, and it’s a project in conjunction with Rewilding Portugal, hence the beautiful presentation on the bottle and the bag in a tube, just like a bag-in-box: super-practical, with a delicious, fresh wine inside. 

Casa La Rad Solarce, Rioja 2019

Video transcript

Casa La Rad Solarce Rioja 2019 

Here we have a big, rich what I would describe as a modern style of Rioja. Casa la Rad is the name of the vineyard; in fact, it’s the name of a farm in the southern part of Rioja. The southern part benefits from a much warmer climate than the rest of Rioja. And as a result, the grapes – tempranillo, grenache and graciano – ripen exceptionally well, producing wines that are really deep in colour and then on the nose, they’re exuberant: more about the blackberry style of fruit as opposed to the red-fruit spectrum. And on the palate, this is a wine that is full-bodied, quite muscular and really satisfying to drink.  

Lemelson Thea's Selection Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2017

Video transcript

Lemelson Thea's Selection Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2017

Oregon is gaining a great reputation for its pinot noirs. Eric Lemelson planted these vines in the 1990s and the Lemelson Thea’s section pinot is one of our favourites. It’s based in the Willamette Valley, which is about an hour’s drive south of Portland, and the pinot here really develops a lovely herbal fresh note. There’s spice, cedar wood and a little bit of redcurrant and cranberry coming through. On the palate, it’s a very medium-bodied and silky wine with the tannins beautifully refined and balanced by that fruit flavour that’s coming through. This is a wine that’s drinking perfectly now but could also cellar for a number of years, and would be great with roast lamb. 

Once & Future Oakley Road Vineyard Zinfandel 2019

Video transcript

Once & Future Oakley Road Vineyard Zinfandel 2019 

Sometimes to source great wine, you have to follow fantastic winemakers, and Joel Peterson is just that. After his Ravenswood success, where he was the ‘godfather of zin’, he ended up deciding that he would run Once & Future as part of his retirement hobby. Borrowing space in his son’s winery and dusting off his old redwood vats, he’s only making the amount of wine that he can manage himself. Here, he’s chosen to work with a vineyard that he’s worked with for many years called Oakley Road. It’s a sand-based vineyard planted in the 1880s, and the zinfandel here is an incredible quality with tiny yields. Full of boysenberry and damson, and rich blackcurrant flavours, this is a wine that is delicious in his youth but will age brilliantly in a cellar, and will get better for at least another 10 to 20 years. 

Pedroncelli Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Video transcript

Pedroncelli Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 

Pedroncelli, based in Sonoma County, California, are a bit of a rarity in a number of ways. They were established in 1927, so had to survive the last few years of Prohibition, and they’re also still family owned. Amazingly, they also are known for making great-value wines which in this region is a little bit of a rarity. And this cabernet is definitely one of those. Picked from three different vineyards across their holdings all in Sonoma County, and in fact within the appellation of Dry Creek Valley, the cabernet here has a great nose. Lots of cassis, plum, blackberry and lovely black-fruited flavours come through very easily. It’s got great structure and those classic cabernet tannins, as well as nice refreshing acidity, a very gentle balanced little oak note, a vanilla that supports those black-fruit flavours; and this would be a perfect match with Sunday roast beef.

Percheron Shiraz-Mourvèdre, Swartland 2020

Video transcript

Percheron Shiraz-Mourvèdre, Swartland 2020 

We’ve been buying this wine from South Africa for over ten years now. It’s called Percheron Shiraz-Mourvèdre, and it’s named after the stunning horse, which was the – truly the workhorse in the vineyards, used for ploughing in days of old. Shiraz and mourvèdre have settled fantastically well in the warmth of the Swartland region, which is very much a mediterranean, dry mediterranean climate, and they produce lovely, sweet fruit – blue/black fruit flavour, very smooth, warm – no oak flavour so it’s just about the fruit here. It also happens to be vegan-friendly, vegetarian, and it’s a wine that is bottled in France – more and more, we’re seeing, for ecological reasons, wine is shipped in volume and then bottled more locally in Europe. And this is one of those examples, bottled under a screwcap. Very easy drink, anytime. 

Sabina Tempranillo, Navarra 2019

Video transcript

Sabina Tempranillo Navarra 2019 

Here we’ve got one of our most popular red wines: Sabina Tempranillo from Spain. ‘Sabina’ is the Spanish for the Juniper tree – there’s a lovely image here on the label. Tempranillo, the grape of Spain, the grape of Rioja, this time grown in Navarra; picked at full ripeness, hence the deep colour. It’s got a lovely, fruity, red-fruit sort of character to it. Quite full-bodied and really satisfying.  

The Society’s Chianti Rufina 2018

Video transcript

The Society’s Chianti Rufina 2018

Chianti is perhaps Italy’s best-known red wine, and The Society has chosen to work with a Chianti Rufina for its own label. Rufina is a sub region within the area of Chianti that is known for its higher elevation and therefore more perfumed and cooler wines. Here the Grati family have been making a fantastic wine for us for years and it’s got all of that really typical cherry and floral note on the nose, leather and spice on the palate, as well as high acidity and good tannins. Chianti is a medium-bodied of red wine that pairs perfectly with pizza and pastas. Enjoy 

The Society’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2020

Video transcript

The Society’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2020

Montepulciano can be a little confusing because it’s the name of a famous village in Tuscany that also produces wine, although confusingly from sangiovese; and it’s also a grape name. The grape is famous from the region of Abruzzo, and so this, The Society’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, is made from that grape. The grape itself is known for producing medium-bodied wines with lots of cherry and red-berry flavours. It’s a very easy-drinking and enjoyable wine. Here it’s all of that: it’s the cherry, plum, really lovely redcurrant and cranberry notes coming through; very fresh acidity and quite soft tannins that are nicely in balance. It’s a perfect pizza wine. 

Viña Zorzal Garnacha, Navarra 2019

Video transcript

Vina Zorzal Garnacha  

Here we have Viña Zorzal from Navarra in Spain. The Sanz brothers are behind Vina Zoral. Xabi Sanz many members will be familiar with, his beaming smile at our tastings and events. This wine is 100% from garnacha. From vineyards grown in Navarra – they’ve got a lot of age, these vineyards, and that’s the secret to the success of this wine. You just need to put your nose in the glass and it’s so expressive. Fruity, lovely kind of floral red fruits. And on the palate, this is a red wine that you can drink quite easily without food. It’s juicy and succulent, and just a great pleasure to enjoy. 

Whistler Wines ‘Shiver Down My Spine’ Barossa Shiraz 2019

Video transcript

Whistler Wines Shiver Down My Spine Barossa Valley Shiraz 2019 

One of the wines that I’m really excited about at the moment is Whistler’s ‘Shiver Down My Spine’ Shiraz 2019, and it comes from the Barossa in Australia. This is a small family winery and it’s now in its second generation, and what I love about this wine is that it’s actually so different to what you might normally expect from Barossan shiraz. So historically, this is a style of wine which is really big and concentrated and really alcoholic, but what they’ve done here at Whistler is focus on freshness and lift and energy, and that really comes through in the glass. This is so lovely – this just bursts with red fruit and black fruit on the nose; and the palate has tannin, has structure. It’s still quite a full-bodied wine but it’s got incredible balance and freshness too. Perfect to pair with all sorts of foods – I mean, if you’re having a barbecue, this is absolutely spot on – but really this is absolutely delicious on its own too.  

Wirra Wirra McLaren Vale Church Block 2018

Video transcript

Wirra Wirra McLaren Vale Church Block 2018 

One of the most consistently delicious wines that we sell at The Wine Society is Wirra Wirra’s Church Block, which is a classic Australian red blend. This has been a favourite with Society members for many, many years, and actually is a real staple of our Australia range. It’s a classic blend of cabernet, shiraz and merlot – so taking the best parts of Bordeaux and the Rhône, and kind of bringing them together in one bottle. The nose on this wine is so generous. You get these lovely, spicy, peppery notes. You get this blackcurrant fruit as well and there’s also this ever so subtle leatheriness that kind of sits behind that and helps to pad everything out. I absolutely love this wine. I think it always offers fantastic value for money, and if you’ve not tried it before, I would highly recommend it.  

White wines

Our buyers introduce you to meadow-fresh Vinho Verde, refreshing Spanish whites, a range of delicious Aussie styles and more.

Azevedo Loureiro-Alvarinho, Vinho Verde 2020

Video transcript

Azevedo Loureiro Alvarinho Vinho Verde 2020 

This Vinho Verde has been a members’ favourite for years. ‘Azevedo’ comes from the Quinta de Azevedo, which is a historic property in the Minho region – the Atlantic north-west coast of Portugal – owned by a big company, Sogrape, who own vineyards all over the country. And it’s a blend of two of the most important grapes of the region – loureiro, which gives you that meadow-fresh, really floral, delicate aroma, and then alvarinho, the quality grape of the north of the region, which gives you more of those stone fruits, a little bit more body and roundness and the two together make for a great blend. Perfect for sunshine and seafood but actually, it’s a really good palate pick-you-up for any time of the year. Have a bottle of Vinho Verde in the fridge year-round and you won’t regret it. 

Bleasdale Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2019

Video transcript

Bleasdale Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2019 

One of the wineries that we’ve worked with at The Wine Society for many, many years is Bleasdale, and the winery itself is based in Australia’s Langhorne Creek, but this wine in particular comes from Adelaide Hills. Adelaide Hills, obviously just on the outskirts of Adelaide, is home to some really exciting chardonnay, in particular. This example, I think, strikes a kind of a ‘Goldilocks’ balance for chardonnay: it’s not too rich and buttery, but it’s also not too lean at the other end of the scale – it’s just right, just down the middle, so you get this lovely, lovely balance. The nose is toasty and suggests that there’s kind of a nuttiness to it, but it’s not too savoury, it’s not too overbearing; there’s a lovely, lifted freshness to this wine too. Absolutely lovely. If you want to find out why Bleasdale have worked with The Wine Society for so long, or why we’ve continued to support them, this is a fantastic example of the quality of wines that they produce.

Coteaux du Layon 1er Cru Chaume, Château de la Roulerie 2018

Video transcript

Coteaux du Layon 1er Cru Chaume 2018 

Loire chenin blanc makes some of the greatest sweet wines in the world of wine, and this is a classic example from the Coteaux du Layon. It’s from a historic property which makes dry Anjou Blanc from chenin blanc and the Coteaux du Layon wines; and this is a premier cru Chaume, and it’s a vineyard that is just south-west of the city of Angers in the Loire. And as you can see, this is 2018 vintage so still not very mature. It’s the most beautiful golden colour, which is typical of these part-botrytised grapes – botrytis is the noble rot that affects the grapes and turns it into a luscious, sweet wine and it brings complexity as well. So you’ve got really gorgeous aromas of honey and citrus, and sweet and smooth on the palate. This is a young wine still; the beauty is it will develop over the next many years, developing complexity, richness, intensity. Serve it – if you’re in France it would be with foie gras, or certainly blue cheese – beautiful with cheese, but actually it’s very good with a fruit dessert – particularly, a tarte tatin would just be a perfect match for this wine. 

Coteaux du Layon Premier Cru Chaume, Château de la Roulerie 2018 50cl

France

Chenin Blanc

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Classic golden nectar from the Loire with burnished orange citrus and honey p...

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Cruz de Piedra Macabeo, Calatayud 2020

Video transcript

Cruz de Piedra Macebeo Calatayud 2020 

Here we have a fresh, vibrant white wine from Spain called Cruz de Piedra Macebeo. Macebeo is the grape variety. It’s also known as viura in Rioja. This wine, though, comes from Calatayud, a very hilly rugged region just to the south-east of Rioja. The guys at Cruz de Piedra make this macebeo very, very simply: they pick the grapes when they’re cool, they keep the grapes cool, ferment them cool, they use no oak at all; so you get this very fruity, floral, fresh, zesty style of white wine that suits lots of different occasions. 

'Dirt Track' Sauvignon Blanc by Duncan Savage, Western Cape 2021

Video transcript

Dirt Track Sauvignon Blanc Western Cape 2021 

Dirt Track wines are made for us by Duncan Savage, one of the young, maverick, exciting winemakers in South Africa. And this is the third vintage of the sauvignon we’ve had: typical, fresh, cooler-climate sauvignon from South Africa. Duncan actually made his name at a vineyard called Cape Point, which specialises in sauvignon blanc, so he really knows what he’s doing with the grape. He left there to set up and make small vintages of superb wines under his own name, and then he set up a négociant business and that’s what this wine comes from. So, he chats with mates of his in the industry, finds grapes he likes and makes delicious, easy-drinking everyday wines just like this one. Cheers! 

Dog Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Video transcript

Dog Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

One of the great wineries of New Zealand’s Marlborough region has to be Dog Point. Their wines are absolutely fantastic and no better than in a superb vintage like 2020. If you think you know Marlborough sauvignon, then think again – this is absolutely outstanding wine and, interestingly, is really really ageable too. Most Marlborough sauvignon is great when it’s fresh and young, but then starts to go downhill, but with a wine like this you can actually keep it for quite a few years as well. The nose is actually quite restrained for this style of wine: so you do get that kind of grassy, gooseberry kind of note, but it’s a lot about this delicious, complex, herbal character as well. The palate is fresh, but it’s not searing, it’s not too acidic. So it does make it actually a very, very smart Marlborough sauvignon. So if you perhaps have a Marlborough sauvignon lover in your life, but you’re not a fan of it yourself, then actually this is going to please you both! 

Grillo Sicilia Isola della Fiamma, Cantine Rallo 2020

Video transcript

Grillo Sicilia Isola della Fiamma Cantine Rallo 2020

Sicily is known for producing some of Italy’s most characterful and best-value white wines at the moment. It has a range of indigenous grape varieties to choose from, and this grillo is made by Cantine Rallo. It’s made in vineyards that overlook the coast in western Sicily that are, amazingly, cooled by the sea breeze, and so you may even get a little bit of saltiness on the nose. It is a little salty, but it’s got that lovely peach and apricot, lemon flavours coming through; and it actually has a little bit of zibibbo added, which is a local grape variety that’s given it much more of that Turkish delight and rose flavours coming through on the finish.

Mac Forbes Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2019

Video transcript

Mac Forbes Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2019 

One of the nicest winemakers in Australia has to be Mac Forbes, who makes wine in the Yarra Valley, which is just north of Melbourne – very close to the city centre, actually. This is his Yarra Valley Chardonnay from 2019 and I absolutely love this wine. Australian chardonnay famously can be that kind of big, oaky, buttery sort of style, but this is the complete opposite: this is all about crispness, freshness and elegance really. On the nose here, you get this lovely lemon-pith, green-apple kind of character; and on the palate, you get wonderfully focused acidity. For me, this is kind of like a ‘race car’ wine: there’s absolutely nothing here that doesn’t need to be, and it’s all about performance. So, if you’re looking to pair something with a shellfish dish, or maybe a creamy pasta or something like that, the acidity in this wine makes it absolutely perfect. 

Navajas Blanco Crianza, Rioja 2017

Video transcript

Navajas Blanco Crianza Rioja 2017 

Here we have a Rioja blanco from the family called Navajas, who are located in a tiny village in Rioja called Navarrete. They make red wine but also a superb white Rioja. This is a crianza, so it’s been aged in oak for six months. The grape variety is viura, which is the traditional grape of Rioja, and it has a particular affinity with oak ageing. It’s got a smoky, toasty, certainly oaky character. But the fruit of viura, the sort of floral character comes right through on this really quite fat, relatively exotic style of white wine.  

Pauletts Polish Hill River Aged Release Clare Valley Riesling 2016

Video transcript

Pauletts Polish Hill River Aged Release Clare Valley Riesling

If I was forced to pick my favourite white grape variety, it might well be riesling, and this is the perfect example as to why. This is Clare Valley riesling. This comes from a winery called Pauletts, and it’s a small family winery, but what’s wonderful about this is it’s 2016 vintage, so it’s got a bit of maturity already. On the nose, you get these delicious, aromatic, orange-peel, wet-slates, lanolin kind of aromas, and on the palate, it’s got this incredible crisp, fresh acidity; so this is a brilliant pick-me-up kind of wine. Also, though, it’s really, really good with all sorts of different foods. So, if you need something that has a bit of acidity to cut through perhaps a bit of fat in a dish, or if you’ve got something like a creamy kind of dish, this is absolutely perfect; but if you don’t want to get too caught up in the food and wine pairing side of things, this is wonderful on its own, on the sofa. 

Pazo de Villarei Albariño, Rías Baixas 2020

Video transcript

Pazo deVillarei Rias Baxias 2020 

This is one of my favourite wine styles coming out of Spain: albariño grown in the north-west, Galicia, a cooler part of Spain which lends itself to producing these wonderfully vibrant, lifted white wines. It’s albariño that has really spearheaded the revolution that we’ve seen in the quality of Spain’s white wines in recent years. Pazo de Villarei comes from Galicia. This is an aromatic, whistle-clean white wine with crisp acidity, and it’s the sort of white wine that goes absolutely beautifully with fresh seafood. Very much a specialism of this part of Spain. 

Reuilly ‘Les Fossiles', Domaine de Reuilly 2020

Video transcript

Reuilly Les Fossiles Organic, Domaine de Reuilly 2020 

Domaine de Reuilly lies in the Loire’s Central Vineyards, that area to the south-west of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé appellations, which also includes Quincy, Menetou-Salon; specialist in sauvignon blanc. And this is a property that’s owned by the lovely Denis Jamain, whose idiosyncrasy is to play music to his vines which he thinks, as well as biodynamics and organics, helps with the quality. It’s from a single vineyard, older vines, crisp and very pure, always, always reliable. And it’s a vineyard that contains lots of marine fossils, 150 million years old, which give it a kind of a minerality and a salinity a little bit like the wines of Chablis, which share the same soils. So if you like Chablis, try this. 

Stadt Krems Stein Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal 2019

Video transcript

Stadt Krems Stein Gruner Veltliner 2019 

If, like me, you love good food and love enjoying good wine with good food, but don’t want to spend all the time in the world thinking too much about the technicalities, then you really cannot go wrong with Austria’s grüner veltliner grape. This is a perfect example – so this comes from Stadt Krems winery, which is in the Kremstal region, and is their Stein Grüner Veltliner; but it importantly comes from 2019 – it’s one of the best vintages of recent years for Austria. Grüner veltliner is a really delicious, fairly aromatic kind of grape variety. You get this kind of lovely stone fruit and pepperiness on the nose, but what makes it special, and really good for food pairing, is the acidity on the palate. It’s got lovely, lifted, fresh acidity. So that makes it perfect with all sorts of different types of food. So, if you want to spend more time enjoying good wine and good food, and less time thinking too much about it, then you really cannot go wrong here. 

The Society’s Verdicchio 2020

Video transcript

The Society’s Verdecchio 2020 Organic

The Society’s Verdechhio is a great Italian white wine if you’re looking for something fresh and vibrant. Made for us by Monte Schiavo in the region of Marche from the town of Jesi. It’s an amazing Adriatic-influenced white wine. The vines are grown almost within sight of the sea and they benefit from the cooling breezes, which has given it a lovely freshness and great acidity. The flavours are those of lemon or tart peach; lovely gooseberry notes coming through too and it’s an unoaked wine so its lovely and fresh. It would be perfect with a salad or with some seafood 

Champagne & Port

The fruits of a Champagne partnership that goes back to 1906 and a new Port from the Symingtons’ organically certified vineyards.

The Society’s Champagne Brut NV

Video transcript

The Society’s Champagne Brut NV 

Alfred Gratien is The Wine Society’s longest-running supplier relationship. We’ve been working with them since 1906, and one of the fantastic outcomes of this incredible relationship is The Society’s Champagne. We’re really fortunate that Nicolas Jaeger makes this in a particularly unique way, which we think really increases the quality and the value that this wine offers. He first barrel ferments all of the wines that are used to make up this Champagne. He also doesn’t allow them to go through malolactic fermentation, which keeps the acidity particularly bright, with lots of lemon citrus flavours that come through on the palate. That brightness of acidity counterbalances the richness from the oak fermentation. He also then gives it time, believing that Champagne needs to sit on its lees for a particularly long period of time – in this case, 48 months, significantly longer than the region’s minimum standards – and that enables the wine to develop a real complexity and brioche richness that comes through. A wonderfully concentrated, high-quality, refreshing Champagne. I hope you get to enjoy it soon. 

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The Society's Champagne Brut NV

France

Pinot Noir Meunier Chardonnay

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We were so pleased to see this enduring favourite crowned a Wine Champion yet...

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Graham's Natura Reserve Port

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Graham’s Natura Organic Reserve Port 

This is a great example of a pouring Port. It’s got a cork stopper – no need to decant it, so it’s easy to open, easy to enjoy anytime. It’s the perfect match with cheese, particularly Stilton, but actually a wine like this you can easily serve with richer, with meat dishes, casseroles. It’s made by the Symington family, from organic vineyards: Graham’s is one of their key brands and Natura is the name that refers, if you like, to the environmentally friendly methods with which it’s made. Dark, sweet, luscious on the palate and really smooth. Very easy to drink. 

Graham's Natura Reserve Port

Portugal

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A wine from the Symington family's organically certified vineyards in Portuga...

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